Last week, THON, along with Penn State officials, made the decision to cancel all fundraising efforts that require traveling out of State College for the remainder of the THON 2019 fundraising window. This decision was made after careful consideration and due to 3 separate car accidents involving volunteers which occurred on fundraising trips earlier this year.

While we recognize that this will affect student fundraising efforts, student safety is of the utmost importance.

Your feedback is welcomed on this, and any other,decision affecting the THON community (email alumni.engagement@thon.org with your thoughts), but we ask you to join us in supporting the THON volunteers in their fundraising efforts, and the student leadership in making this difficult decision

This decision makes alumni support more vital than ever.

Dance Marathon Alumni Interest Group leads a passionate community of alumni who create and promote opportunities to raise awareness, volunteer time, and provide philanthropic support to champion the efforts of THON.

There are various ways to support this mission, and our hope is that alumni will rally around our student volunteers to do so.

First, raise awareness. It's as simple as wearing a THON shirt or striking up a conversation with a co-worker. Use your social media channels to share messages of courage, wisdom, honesty and strength. Use your voice to garner excitement for the best weekend of the year.

Second, volunteer time. Start a fundraiser in your town. Happy hours, local sporting events and raffles are the easiest ways to kick things off. Please reach out to DMAIG (president@dmaig.org) for tips and tricks to get this done, and register your event with THON for easy access to their logos, messaging and more.

Finally, provide support to champion the efforts of THON. Our student volunteers invest so much time and effort every single year to put on this amazing, incredible, inspiring event. When it comes to fundraising, they'll need our help now more than ever. We encourage you to join our Hope From Coast to Coast virtual run fundraiser -- but there are plenty of other ways to get the job done. Here’s just a few ways …

-Donate online at THON.org OR join THON Nation, a new fundraising platform that enables alumni, friends and supporters to create a DonorDrive fundraising page-Become a DMAIG Ambassador (see information below)-Use our Amazon Smiles account when you get your holiday shopping done-Find an event with your local PSAA chapter and find a tie-in to raise funds.-Participate in the THON Stamp Drive, and send stamps to the THON Office (227D HUB, University Park, PA 16802) – this helps to fund various initiatives while cutting down on internal costs

Need more ideas? Feel free to reach out to us at alumni.events@dmaig.org. There are so many different ways to encourage fundraising, and we hope you'll join us in doing so. Stay updated on these initiatives and more by checking out the DMAIG and THON social media channels.

We’re continuously inspired by our alumni volunteers, and we thank you for your continued support of DMAIG and THON.

FTK,The DMAIG Board of Director

Become a DMAIG AmbassadorNEW for THON 2019, the DMAIG Ambassador program empowers THON alumni to build bridges in their communities, fostering a strong alumni network and creating opportunities to grow support for THON across the nation. With the help of resources from DMAIG and THON, Ambassadors play a leadership role in engaging local alumni to join the fight against childhood cancer through planning fundraising events, interacting with local alumni chapters, and other outreach activities. Interested in becoming a DMAIG Ambassador for THON 2019? Visit www.dmaig.org or email Megan Osvath at donor.relations@dmaig.org to learn more!

Join Hope From Coast to CoastJoin alumni from around the world and participate in the third annual Hope from Coast 2 Coast Virtual fun! The event takes place the week leading up to THON (Feb 10-17, 2019). Our mission is to bridge the game between THON Weekend and alumni around the world to raise awareness and funds supporting THON in the fight to conquer childhood cancer. Click here for more info and register today!

​Interested in continuing to make a difference after you graduate? Want to Connect or reconnect to the cause? Join the DMAIG Board of Directors! For the 2018-2020 term we have 3 open positions, 2 Membership Directors and our Alumni Events Director! Position Descriptions can be found here and the application can be found here.

DMAIG is excited to present the second annual Hope From Coast 2 Coast virtual fundraiser which will run during the week leading up to THON 2018. This event consists of a virtual run with fundraising options and different levels of participation, each based on running experience or personal preference.

Hope From Coast 2 Coast (HFC2C) will take place February 11–18, 2018. Participants can choose to run one of four distances, each of which represents one of Christopher Millard’s Four Diamonds:

The Strength Team has the entire week to run 46 miles, as Penn State Dance Marathon dancers stand for 46 hours.

The Wisdom Team will run 100 miles, the approximate distance between Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital and Penn State University in University Park, PA. This distance will be completed as a team among friends and family, or participants can choose to be paired with fellow Penn State alumni from around the country.

To sign up for the fundraising event, every participant will need to create a fundraising page and select a team. Then, a DMAIG representative will email further instructions, a fundraising guide, and a link to a support group for all runners.

For more information about the event or DMAIG, contact the Hope From Coast 2 Coast Director Autumn Ghigiarelli at hope@dmaig.org.

Recently, fellow Penn State alum and author, Denise Kaminsky, was inspired to write a book combining two of our favorite things, the Nittany Lion and THON. Denise has written 5 children’s books involving our beloved Nittany Lion, this time the Lion’s travels took him to the BJC to see THON. Proceeds from the book go directly THON as her way of giving back. We were able to catch up with the author for a little Q&A that you can read below!

Q. Why did you decide to write this book?

A. I am a retired Reading Specialist and third grade teacher. Since I am no longer working directly with children I decided to write for them to help them develop and improve their reading skills as well as enjoy reading about the adventures of the Nittany Lion.

Q. How can someone purchase your book?

A. My books are available through Mascot Books.com, Penn State Bookstores, BN.com, Amazon.com (shameless plug, use your Amazon Smile account benefitting DMAIG or THON and help even more!), and numerous businesses throughout PA and especially in the State College area.

Q. What does THON mean for you?

A. THON has a big place in my heart. I have worked with children in various capacities and have two healthy children of my own. I want to do what I can to help all children grow strong and healthy so they can succeed in life.

Q. Have you been to THON? If so – what was it like?

A. I was able to visit the BJC a few years ago during THON. I was totally impressed and felt the energy as the students danced. Tears came to my eyes as I felt the love that spread from the dancers, the supporters as well as the observers. It helped me want to do more. It inspired me to write NITTANY LION AND THON and donate the net proceeds to THON. I reached out to Michelle Kemper Brownlow, another alum, author and illustrator, and she donated her illustrations in the book as well, FTK.​We are thankful for alums like Denise who continue to fight against pediatric cancer even after graduation. Grab a copy of her book for your kids, nieces, nephews, neighbors or anyone that wants to kick cancer to the curb!

In case you missed it: Over 150 Alumni gathered at the Hintz Alumni Center on Saturday of THON weekend for an evening of mingling and hope. The DMAIG Board sincerely thanks the Chase Kemberling Family, Charles Millard, and Jay Paterno for their inspirational speeches during our Alumni Reception! During our reception, we honored JP Welliver as the 2017 Fundraiser of the Year for his “Pounding Pavement For The Kids” and Lori Kapes as Volunteer of the Year!The Chase Kemberling family sharing their story of resiliency!

Charles Millard speaking about the national impact of Penn State THON alumni!

“It’s not just a Penn State tradition. It’s an American tradition. There’s nothing in the world like it.” Jay Paterno on the tradition of Penn State THON.

“Take it upon yourself to make positive change, wherever you see fit.” ~JP Welliver

HUGE congratulations to our THON 2017 DMAIG Alumni Dancers: Stephanie, Amanda, Sarah, and Ashley! These four awesome alumni stood for 46 hours all in pursuit of a cure. We also give a shoutout to Cara for her fundraising efforts and although she was unable to dance for us, we are so proud of her accomplishments!

​During this year’s fundraising season, the five couples who fundraised to earn a dancer spot cumulatively raised nearly $50,000.00. We couldn’t be more proud of our alumni who worked incredibly hard in their fundraising efforts. Again, thank you and congrats to Stephanie, Amanda, Cara, Sarah, and Ashley!

Hope From Coast 2 Coast had an amazing first year! 61 runners from across the country ran individually and in teams representing Christopher Millard’s Four Diamonds and together raised over $11,600 for THON! Congratulations and thank you to all who participated, donated, and supported this event FTK.

With thanks to all of our incredible fundraisers, we congratulate this year’s dancer who will represent DMAIG at THON 2017! This year’s dancer couples are…

Stephanie Wittig and Amanda UngerAshley Edwards and Sarah Krisher

During this year’s fundraising season, our potential DMAIG dancers cumulatively raised over $45,000! We’re so incredibly proud of each and every dancer couple who vied for a spot this year, and we’re grateful for your hard work.​In the coming weeks, check back here for information about how to write them a dancer letter or two. We’ll also post their dancer numbers so you can find them on the floor and and cheer them on as our alumni THON dancer representatives.

DMAIG is excited to introduce a brand new fundraiser,Hope From Coast 2 Coast, which will run during the weeks leading up to THON 2017. This event will consist of a virtual run with fundraising options and different levels of participation, each based on running experience or personal preference.

Hope From Coast 2 Coast (HFC2C) will take place February 12–19. Participants can choose to run one of four distances, each of which represents one of Christopher Millard’s Four Diamonds:

-The Courage Team will run or walk 1 mile.-The Honesty Team will run or walk 5 kilometers, or 3.1 miles.-The Strength Team has the entire week to run 46 miles, as Penn State Dance Marathon dancers stand for 46 hours.-The Wisdom Team will run 135 miles, the distance between Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital and Penn State University in University Park, PA. This distance will be completed as a team among friends and family, or participants can choose to be paired with fellow Penn State alumni from around the country.

To sign up for the fundraising event, every participant will need to create a fundraising page at www.crowdrise.com/HopeFromCoast2Coast and select a team. Then, a DMAIG representative will email further instructions, a fundraising guide, and a link to a support group for all runners.

For more information about the event or DMAIG, contact the Hope From Coast 2 Coast Director Darla Zecchin at hope@dmaig.org

Four Diamonds is encouraging supporters to give hope this holiday season, and Fundraise Your Way FTK®. It’s as easy as clicking on the link below, creating a page, sharing your personal story and asking your friends and family to support you.

Honor or memorialize someone you love who has been affected by childhood cancer. You could even take on feats of strength as part of your New Year’s Resolution, or organize your own unique event, like a 5K or a casual day at work.

If you have questions on how to get started with your Fundraise Your Way FTK® campaign, please email Katie Anderson at kanderson11@hmc.psu.edu or call 717-531-6086.​About Four Diamonds:Four Diamonds’ mission is to conquer childhood cancer by assisting children treated at Penn State Children’s Hospital and their families through superior care, comprehensive support and innovative research. Over the past 44 years, Four Diamonds has helped more than 3,700 children and families by covering 100 percent of all medical expenses related to cancer care not covered by insurance. Four Diamonds also supports a diverse platform of childhood cancer research, seeking improved treatments and cures to benefit kids around the world.